//------------------------------//
// Chapter 8 
// Story: The Phoenix Tear 
// by CartoonNerd12 
//------------------------------//

"But why do I have to pretend to be Sunset again?!" Double Diamond complained.

"Because you're the only one of us who can make a convincing cough." said Party Favor.

"Besides, you were the one who jumped into the bed when Starlight was coming to check on her this morning." pointed Night Gilder.

"I was shoved in…" Double Diamond muttered.

"Just get in the bed. You know she's going to wake soon and will check to make sure that Sunset has stayed in bed all day."

Double Diamond sighed and complied, crawling into the bed and pulling the covers over his head.

Sugar Belle had been on lookout by the door and heard hoofsteps, "She's coming!"

On cue, Double Diamond did a forceful cough and a few sneezes.

Starlight walked in, "And how is our dear Sunset doing?"

"She's still pretty awful." answered Night Gilder. "I wouldn't be surprised if she was like this for a couple more days before getting better."

"Oh, what a shame… Because I do hope she knows that once she gets out of bed, she'll have to make up for the chores she's missed."

"We could do them for her!" Sugar Belle insisted.

"That's very sweet, but you have your own chores to do and Sunset has her duties to do and I don't pay overtime."

"You won't have to. We'll gladly do them for her." said Party Favor.

"Nevertheless, the answer is still 'no'. Do I make myself clear?"

The three sighed while Double Diamond scowled from under the covers. The trio said, "Yes, milady…"

"Very good. I'll be back tomorrow to see if Sunset is up for work. Good night." She headed out while Sugar Belle closed the door behind her.

Double Diamond lifted himself up as the four exchanged glances, feeling sorry for what Sunset was going to have to face when she got back.

Twilight was in her and Flash's room, telling him what she discovered from Sunset Shimmer.

Flash gaped, "You mean…? She…? You…?"

"That's right. I recognized her cutie mark from my dream and she recognized my cutie mark from her dream."

"This is… is… Wow…"

"I know… but we'll worry about Sunset's and my dreams later. We have to get to dinner and I promised to get Sunset an escort."

"Oh, then let me do it. After all, I was a member of the Royal Guard before we got married. I was trained to escort ponies."

She giggled, "So you were. All right, go ahead."

He kissed her cheek, "I'll see you down there." He went out.

Sunset sat on the comfy bed when she heard a knock on the door. She figured it was the escort that Twilight sent for her, but once she opened the door, she was surprised to see Flash.

He smiled and bowed, "Sir Flash Sentry to escort you, miss."

She slightly blushed, "Oh… thank you."

He offered his hoof and she took it before they set out. They walked for a while until Sunset broke the silence, "So, um, how did you and Twilight meet?"

"Funny you should say that…" He stopped at where the princesses' large bedchamber was and said, "It was here that we managed to bump into each other when I came to fill my first commission. I had just finished training and was sent to Canterlot to be a guard for the royal family. When I was lost in the castle, Twilight and I bumped into each other. At the time, of course, I had no idea that she was the princess but thought she was a servant. She used a nickname that held part of her name, but she was still hiding who she was. One night, she came clean to me and I understood why she did what she did. We fell in love and, well, we got married…" He beamed, recalling the days they spent together.

Sunset smiled, "Twilight didn't tell me who she was right away, either. I didn't even know her name until she told me."

He chuckled, "Yeah… Twilight doesn't want ponies to get to know her if they're just going to treat her differently."

"I totally get that."

"We almost there. Once we get downstairs, we'll be in the dining room."

"Dining with royalty… Honestly, I never thought in my entire life that something like that could happen to me…"

"It probably wouldn't have if you hadn't met Twilight."

"But I did…"

"Yeah, and you were pretty lucky, too…"

"I know I was."

He stopped at a double door, "Here we go." He opened the doors and Sunset could see that the princesses, their husbands, and their children were at a large dining table that was set up. Flash led her to a seat next to Twilight and he pushed her in. Then, he sat on the other side of his wife with his son next to him and their daughter next to her brother.

Twilight asked Sunset, "How do you like your room?"

"It really is wonderful. I can't thank you enough."

Rarity motioned, "Well, we do after all provide our guests the best accommodations, whether they be royalty or not."

"Why, certainly," said Fancy. "During my days as Head Butler, I had the staff make sure that whenever we had important guests over that they get the best treatment around and that they are quite comfortable."

Sunset gestured to the guys, "Just so I get this straight: all of you were something else and not princes before you married the princesses?"

They started laughing.

"But of course!" said Cheese. "I used to run a joke shop here in Canterlot."

"I was page-dragon here in the castle." said Spike.

"I was a Wonderbolt, though I still technically am, but I don't perform as much as I did before." pointed Soarin'.

"And I'm still a Lord of Chaos, but I suppose I did get promoted, considering I'm the Prince of Chaos now."

"That makes me the Princess of Chaos, doesn't it, Daddy?" Screw Ball asked him on his left.

Discord chuckled while rubbing his daughter's head, "It most certainly does, sweetheart."

That caused Fluttershy to give a nervous look.

By then, a Phoenix came swooping in and had a scroll in her claws. She landed in front of Twilight, who exclaimed, "It's Philomena!"

"Mother's pet phoenix?" Fluttershy questioned.

Twilight took the scroll to read it and declared, "Mother says she and Father won't be able to attend dinner. They have to prepare for their retirement…" she dejectedly said that last part.

"Ah, well, more food for us!" Discord started getting a plateful of food.

"Now, honey, you know it's rude to eat when everyone else hasn't had all their food…"

Sunset gaped as the servants set more dishes on the table.

Applejack said, "Looks like Chef Gustave has outdone himself."

"Figures, he always did like to make things extravagant." said Spike.

"Well, what are we waiting for?" said Pinkie. "Let's dig in!"

As everyone was getting food for their plates, Sunset wasn't sure what she wanted to eat. There were so many choices that she didn't know what to choose from.

"Aren't you hungry?" Twilight questioned her.

"Well, I am, but I have no idea what to choose. I never had this much food in my life!"

Cheese and Pinkie had zipped to her side, nearly frightening her out of her chair.

"Then let us help you decide!" they both said.

Cheese then said, "Just sit back, relax, and enjoy the show…"

"Show?!" every pony said.

Pinkie shushed them as she turned off the dining rooms lights, but let a single spotlight shine on Cheese.

He slowly began to sing, "Be… Our… Guest! Be our guest! Put our service to the test… Tie your napkin around your neck, Cherie, and we'll provide the rest! Soup du jour! Hot hors d'oeuvres! Why, we only live to serve… Try the grey stuff, it's delicious… Don't believe me? Ask the dishes!" He gave Discord a wink, who knew that was his cue to use his magic, "They can sing, they can dance! After all, miss, they're from Prance! And a dinner here is never second-best! Go on, unfold your menu… Take a glance, and then you'll be our guest! Oui, our guest! Be our guest!"

They started singing along, "Oat ragout! Cheese soufflé! Pie and pudding en flambé!"

Cheese kept singing, "We'll prepare and serve with flair, a culinary cabaret! You're alone and you're scared but the banquet's all prepared! No one's gloomy or complaining, while the flatware's entertaining, we tell jokes; I do tricks with my candlesticks!"

The boys sang, "And it's all in perfect taste that you can bet!"

They all sang, "Come on and lift your glass. You've won your own free pass to be our guest!"

Cheese sang, "If you're stressed, it's fine dining we suggest!"

They sang, "Be our guest, be our guest, be our guest!"

Cheese sang in a mellow tone, "Life is so unnerving for a royal who's on duty… One's not whole without a soul to pamper them… Ah, those good old days when we were resting… Suddenly, those good days are gone… Six years we've been working, with the dangers that are lurking… We need vacations, a chance to rest our feet… Most days we just rush around the castle…We are never lazy… You walked in and oops-a-daisy!"

Pinkie joined him, "It's a guest, it's a guest! Sakes alive, well I'll be blessed! Wine's been poured and thank our mom, I've had the napkins freshly pressed, with dessert, she'll want tea, and my dear that's fine with me! While the cups do their soft-shoeing , I'll be bubbling! I'll be brewing! I'll get warm, piping hot! Heaven's sakes! Is that a spot? Clean it up! We want the company impressed! We got a lot to do, is it one lump or two? For you, our guest?"

They sang, "She's our guest!"

Pinkie sang, "She's our guest!"

Everyone then started putting on a showstopper, "She's our guest! Be our guest! Be our guest! Our command is your request! It's been six years since we've had anybody here and we're obsessed! With a meal, with your ease… Yes, indeed, we aim to please… While candlelight's still glowing, let us help you, we'll keep going! Course… By… Course! One by one! Till you shout, enough I'm done! Then we'll sing you off to sleep as you digest… Tonight you'll prop your feet up! But for now, let's eat up! Be our guest! Be our guest! Be our guest! Please… Be… Our… Guest!" They abruptly stopped.

Sunset was clapping her hooves, "That was incredible!"

Pinkie went up to her, "So, got any idea of what you want now?"

"You know what? I actually do." She started grabbing everything that was within her sight.

As everyone ate, Philomena was standing close by to Sunset, who noticed she was being watched by the bird. She turned to the Phoenix and offered her a piece of bread, which she took in her beak and ate it.

"You're not the only phoenix that I've seen. There's a nest of phoenixes where I live."

Fluttershy overhead that and asked excitedly, "Really? Have you seen any adorable chicks?"

Sunset nodded, "Uh-huh. Three of them."

Fluttershy awed.

Twilight pointed out, "It's strange. Other than Mother and Fluttershy, Philomena seems really taken with you."

Sunset shrugged, "I don't why she's attracted to me, but I like her, too."

Philomena chirped.

Rarity addressed to Twilight, "Oh, Twilight, what are you planning on doing for the garden party tomorrow afternoon?"

Twilight was sipping from her drink until Rarity mentioned the garden party and the alicorn spit out her drink in shock, "The garden party! I forgot I was supposed to make arrangements for it today! But when everything else happened…" She put her hooves to her face, "What am I going to do?"

"Fret not, darling, I'll help you get past this crisis." Rarity assured her.

"Thank you, Rarity. I could definitely use your expertise."

"Not a problem. I'll do what I can to serve the next queen." she winked.

Twilight mentally groaned. She turned to Sunset, "I'm sorry, Sunset. I was supposed to, um, hang out with you tomorrow, but this is important, so…"

"Oh, don't worry about me. You're right: this is obviously something you have to deal with."

Fluttershy offered, "You can come with me tomorrow to feed the animals, and I have to move them away so they don't disrupt the party tomorrow."

"Sure," said Rainbow. "Then you can hang out with me and Soarin' as we do some jousting practice."

"Ooh! Ooh! Then you can hang out with us and help set up for the party!" said Pinkie.

"Hey, you could be with me to the kitchen while I prepare some treats." said Applejack.

"Oh, wow… This is really nice of you, thanks. I think I'll take up on all your offers."

There was cheering.

When dinner was over, Sunset crawled into the large bed and felt comfortable. She lied there as she thought of her first day of being out in the world. What started as a simple outing turned into a tour of the palace and now, she got to hang out with all the princesses who lived here. It was strange but welcoming. She wished then she had a family just like them.